ISU Volleyball Defeats UTEP, Falls to Fresno State

Box Score 1 | Box Score 2



EL PASO, Texas – The Idaho State volleyball team split a pair of matches at the El Paso Sports Commission Invitational hosted by UTEP Saturday. The Bengals defeated UTEP early in the day 3-0 before falling to Fresno State 3-0 later Saturday evening.
 
Senior outside hitter Breanne Van Every led the way for ISU against UTEP with her second double-double of the season. Van Every recorded 11 kills and 15 digs in the contest.
 
Junior setter Lori Mendenhall posted a 40-plus assist performance with 41 total assists against the Miners and the Bengals out-blocked UTEP 9-5. ISU boasted a .365 attack percentage compared to UTEP's .184.
 
Senior middle blocker Kimberly Naut and senior outside hitter Jaclyn Hone-Hawkins led the block effort for the Bengals. Naut recorded six assisted blocks while Hone had five.
 
Hone-Hawkins went on to lead the Bengals against Fresno State. The 5-10, Shelley, Idaho native recorded 10 kills, five assists, three digs and five assisted blocks in the match-up.
 
Mendenhall recorded 24 assists in the contest while Van Every led in digs with eight.
 
The Bengals out-blocked the Bulldogs 7-5 but struggled on the offensive end of the ball recording just a .194 attack percentage to FSU's .356.
 
Freshman middle blocker Makenzie Filer led the blocking effort against the Bulldogs with six assisted blocks.
 
Idaho State won the match against UTEP 25-19, 27-25, 25-21 and lost to Fresno State 25-20, 25-14, 25-21. The Bengals improved to 1-2 in the opening weekend. Fresno State improved to 2-1 and UTEP finished at 0-2 for the weekend.
 
“We defeated UTEP and played very well against them,” ISU Head Coach Chad Teichert said. “Then we faced Fresno State and in my mind Fresno State is a good team and a very athletic team. We just needed to pass a little better, defend a little better and hit a little better against them.”
 
The Bengals return to action at the University of Portland Tournament next weekend. Idaho State begins the tournament with two matches Friday, Aug. 31. ISU faces University of Portland at 11 a.m. and UNLV at 5 p.m. The Bengals continue the tournament Saturday, Sept. 1 at 5 p.m. against Tennessee State University.